Hobbyhorse



Nov. 17, 1942- G. W. MCKINNEY HOBBY HORSE Filed Oct. 3, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l 'Z2 By @maa/@L A [tom e] NOV. 17, 1942. G. W MGKINNEY.

HOBBY HORSE Filed Oct. 3, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Geary@ Aff/6227s?? Patented Nov. 17, 1942 UNTED STATES PATENT OFFICE noynonsc y George W. McKinney, Chester, Pa. Application october s, 1941, seria-1 No. 413,521 l a claims. (oi. 2724-52) i My invention relates to improvements in hobbyhorses for the nursery, and the like, the principal object in View being to provide a sturdy, inexpensive toy of this character equipped for easy,

smooth operation, by a small child and without jerk or jar, and in which springs and all rockers are eliminated.

Another object is to provide a toy of the character designated in which motion is imparted to the seat forwardly and rearwardly and vertically Without the use of rockers.

Other and subordinate objects are also comprehended by my invention, all of which, together with the precise nature of my improvements will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claims are read with reference to the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a View in side elevation of the preferred embodiment of my invention,

Figure 2 is a View in top plan,

Figure 3 is a view in longitudinal section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a view in horizontal section taken on the line 4--4 of Figure 1, and

Figure 5 is a View in front elevation.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, my improved hobbyhorse, in its preferred embodiment, comprises a pair of spaced side bars I spaced apart parallel and secured ltogether by a pair of subjacent cross-bars 2 adjacent the ends of said bars I and forming supports.

The body of the hobbyhorse comprises a panel 3 of elongated substantially rectangular form disposed atwise longitudinally above the bars I parallel, lengthwise, therewith and having upstanding from one end thereof and in the longi- .tudinal center of the same a panel 4 shaped and suitably embellished to provide a neck and bridled head. The body forming panel 3 forms a seat in the rear of the panel 4 and has its opposite side edges concaved, as at 5, to facilitate gripping of the same by the legs of a child straddling said seat. A pair of suitable hand grips 5 extend from opposite sides of the panel 4 for grasping by a child to facilitate operating the device. A pair of front and rear, transverse, end cleats I, 8 are suitably fixed to said body forming panel 3 to the bottom thereof and adjacent opposite ends of the same. A central subjacent, longitudinal cleat 9 is extended along the under side of said body forming panel 3 to strengthen the same.

Pairs of opposed front and rear, bar-like, legs Il), II support the body forming panel 3 at opposite ends thereof, respectively, the legs of said pairs being pivoted, as at IZ, kat the upper ends thereof to opposite ends of the front'and rear cleats l, 8, respectively, the lower ends of the legs of said pairs I0, II being similarly pivoted, asat I3, to opposite side bars I. As will be clear, the axes of the pivots I2, I3 are arranged at right angles to the bars I and body forming panel 3 so that said panel 3 may be swung endwise with.

an up-and-down motion. Preferably the pairs of legs I0, II converge slightly upwardly so that under such endwise swinging of said body forming panel 3 a slight tilting is imparted thereto. A cross-round I4 extends between'the legs of each pair I0, I I thereof to brace the same.

Front and rear pairs of rollers supporting, side brackets I5 are provided on the front and rear pairs of legs I0, II, respectively, extending oppositely toward the transverse center of the hobbyhorse, and each bracket including a pair of links I6 fixed at one end thereof to the legs equidistantly above and below the transverse center thereof, as at I'I, and being connected together at their other ends asby studs I8. A pair of horizontal, transversely extending rollers I9 are rotatably supported by the ends of the studs I8 of each pair of brackets I5. A belt 2| 0f resilient material is trained around the pair of rollers I9.

The round connecting the pair of front legs III extends outwardly beyond said legs to provide a pair of footrests 22 for use in operating the hobby horse by the aid of the feet.

Referring now to the operation of the described invention, a child astride the body forming panel 3 by grasping the hand grips 6 and shoving forwardly against the footrests 22 with his feet may easily cause the body forming panel 3 to move forwardly and the legs I0, II to rook in the same direction. The legs IJ, II function somewhat in the manner of a parallel link motion, but with the exception that because of the described convergence of the pairs of legs a slight tilting is imparted to the body forming panel 3. Under such rocking of the pairs of -legs IB, II, the pairs of front and rear roller suplegs I0, II rearwardly. Pressure may then be again exerted against the footrests 22, by the child, causing a repetition of the operations previously described.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clear understanding of my invention without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein .reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

l. In a hobbyhorse, a base, a body above said baseI front and rear pairs of legs pivotally connected to said base and body to provide for rocking of said pairs of legs forwardly and rearwardly in unison on said base, and for endwise movement of said body correspondingly, and means to oppose gradually increasing tension against rocking of said pairs of legs in either direction comprising an endless resilient belt intermediate said pairs of legs, a pair of front and rear rollers around which said belt is trained, and means operative by rocking of said pairs of legs to move said rollers upwardly and downwardly, respectively, and oppositely relatively to separate the same in gradually increasing degree and thereby stretch said belt.

2. In a hobbyhorse, a base, a body above said base, front and rear pairs of legs pivotally connected to said base and body to provide for rocking of said pairs of legs forwardly and rearwardly in unison on said base and for endwise movement of said body correspondingly, and means to nppose gradually increasing tension against rocking of said pairs of legs in either direction comprising a pair of opposed brackets on each pair of legs extending side by side from the pair of legs intermediate the pivots thereof toward the other pair of legs whereby said pairs of brackets are movable upwardly and downwardly, respectively, and oppositely relatively under rocking of said legs, a pair of horizontal rollers journaled in the pairs of brackets, respectively, for movement by said brackets in correspondence therewith, and an endless resilient belt trained around said pair of rollers and tensioning the same against movement by said brackets.

GEORGE W. MCKINNEY. 

